Parectopa leucocyma
Encyclopedia
The Kauri Leafminer is a moth
of the Gracillariidae
family. It is known from New Zealand
.
The larva
e feed on Agathis australis
. They mine
the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts at the tip of the leaf and then heads for the general direction of the petiole, sometimes double-backing along the way. Near the petiole, the host plant forms a gall, creating a sheltered site for the larva to overwinter. After hibernation, the larva chews itself out of the gall and pupates on the leaf in a parchment-like cocoon.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Gracillariidae
Gracillariidae
Gracillariidae is an important family of insects in the order Lepidoptera and the principal family of leaf miners that includes several economic, horticultural or recently invasive pest species such as the horse-chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella....
family. It is known from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e feed on Agathis australis
Agathis australis
Agathis australis, commonly known as the kauri, is a coniferous tree found north of 38°S in the northern districts of New Zealand's North Island. It is the largest but not tallest species of tree in New Zealand, standing up to 50 m tall in the emergent layer above the forest's main canopy. The...
. They mine
Leaf miner
Leaf miner is a term used to describe the larvae of many different species of insect which live in and eat the leaf tissue of plants. The vast majority of leaf-mining insects are moths , sawflies and flies , though some beetles and wasps also exhibit this behavior.Like Woodboring beetles, leaf...
the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts at the tip of the leaf and then heads for the general direction of the petiole, sometimes double-backing along the way. Near the petiole, the host plant forms a gall, creating a sheltered site for the larva to overwinter. After hibernation, the larva chews itself out of the gall and pupates on the leaf in a parchment-like cocoon.